How is a death claim ongoing for so long????

My father passed away in January 2021. It's almost January 2023 and we haven't gotten a payout from his umbrella fund that he had with sanlam. When we submitted the initial paperwork, the maximum time it was said to take was 12 months but it's almost 24 months later and they still haven't paid out. How is one claim open for this long, isn't the purpose of the umbrella fund to help the dependents carry on after the passing away of their loved one but now it defies the purpose if it takes so long.